Easter is my favorite holiday of all. As a kid, I loved the holiday because of the eggs and the candy and the bulging basket I’d search for, which I would finally find hiding in a laundry bin or behind the couch.
I grew up in a Christian family, though at the time, my parents were Creasters — you know, they only attended church on Christmas and Easter.
I knew the real meaning of Easter, of course, and why we celebrate, but I didn’t really get it because we really didn’t talk about it. I never heard about Lent. I didn’t understand Palm Sunday or Holy Week, and rarely attended a Good Friday service.
The Bible stuff was left to Sunday school and pastors and the teachers at my Christian school. So the importance of Easter and how it should affect my daily life was lost on a little girl’s delight in bunnies and daffodils and the lamb dinner enjoyed on Sunday.
By God’s grace and the influence of my grandparents, Easter took on new importance as I grew older, and I began to understand the meaning of Holy Week and Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday.
Today, Easter is still my favorite holiday — but not because of the bunnies and baskets but because of Jesus!
Without the death and resurrection of Jesus, we have no Christianity — no redemption, no hope, no eternity with God. Holy Week tells us the truest, most important story of all!
As parents, we have opportunities every day to share with our kids about Jesus. Some of us engage those moments, and some of us miss them. But whether or not we recognize the holy moments in our ordinary days, it would be a shame to miss the invitation we have this next week.
Holy Week, culminating in Resurrection Sunday, provides us a distinct invitation to share with our kids about Jesus. Let’s not allow this opportunity to become a casualty to our busyness and preoccupation or our distraction with candy, eggs, and coordinating outfits.
This Easter season, make a choice to slow down, cut back, and focus on the most important gift of all. There is really only one thing your family needs to do the week before Easter — spend time together with Jesus.
It’s okay if you’ve never done family devotions before, but don’t use that as an excuse for never starting. Even if you’ve never done devotions on your own before, you can do this!
Here’s a simple way to get started:
- Gather your family together over breakfast or dinner or before bedtime or at another time that works best for you.
- Pray together, asking God to speak to you through His Word.
- Read a Bible passage together — if you need suggestions, come over to my Facebook or Instagram page where I will be sharing a specific Scripture passage to read each day of Holy Week.
- Talk about what you read — What do you notice about this passage? Who is it about? What lesson is being taught? What questions do you have? How is God speaking to you through this passage?
Christ-centered Easter Resources for your Family
If you want to take a more specific approach or are looking for a resource specific to Holy Week and Easter, grab one of these two resources to focus your hearts on Jesus:
Clean on the Inside: A Family Devotional for Holy Week
Used by thousands of families over the past three years, this devotional includes a Scripture passage, devotional, and application questions and activities for every day of Holy Week. A recommended craft is also suggested. Many families have enjoyed these crafts, though I will admit, my strength does not lie in the realm of arts & crafts! If you are looking for a resource that is specifically crafty, the resource below might be a better option for you. If you want something that helps your family get into the Word of God and apply it to your lives, Clean on the Inside is the resource for you.
Buy Clean on the Inside here.
A Sense of the Resurrection
Written by Amanda White, author of Truth in the Tinsel, A Sense of the Resurrection contains 12 hands-on, meaningful activities to help your kids understand and experience the Easter story. Amanda has written an excellent and unique resource for families to understand the Resurrection in a whole new way.
Buy A Sense of the Resurrection here.
What an incredible opportunity we have this Easter to lead our families to Jesus, to help them understand His love for us in a new and deeper way. I pray that each of us will embrace these opportunities to meet with Jesus together!
Question for You:
What does your family do for Easter to help focus your hearts on Jesus?
Blessings,
Erika Dawson // http://erikadawson.com
